Asahi Kasei Spirit of the Season

The Asahi Kasei Spirit of the Season award highlights the grit and determination shown by the WRC’s stars in their quest for honours across the globe.

The tremendous spirit that exists within the championship is encapsulated in the penultimate award category for our star-studded WRC Gala Night.

We’ve picked four moments and put them into the video below for you to choose your favourite – and voting is now open.

The nominations are:

Elfyn Evans servicing his own FiestaWith most of the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team working frantically to repair team-mate Sébastien Ogier’s Fiesta after it suffered a broken track control arm in Turkey, Evans and co-driver Dan Barritt showed their selfless streak – and mechanical prowess – by helping to re-prep their own car at the same service halt.

Kalle Rovanperä’s improvised suspensionWhen his Skoda Fabia R5’s suspension broke at Neste Rally Finland, the 18-year-old managed to avoid retiring from his home event by expertly lashing together a makeshift fix on the front-left corner, using a neat blend of ratchet straps and cable ties. The handy work got him through the day and allowed him to secure a third-place finish in WRC 2.

Sébastien Ogier’s Welsh fightbackSuffering from a gearbox problem, Ogier plummeted to eighth after Friday’s morning loop at Dayinsure Wales Rally GB. Once a replacement unit was installed, the Frenchman responded magnificently as he fought his way back up the leader board. His reward was a fifth career victory.

Thierry Neuville’s Turkish repairsHaving limped to the finish of SS8 in Turkey with a broken front-left suspension mounting, Neuville and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul needed to act swiftly to save their event. They set about swapping various suspension parts to repair the damage to their Hyundai i20. Unfortunately, the fix was beyond them. But they drew the praise of the Service Park for their determination.

The Asahi Kasei Spirit of the Season Award winner will be announced during the prestigious gala, which follows the final round at Kennards Hire Rally Australia (15 - 18 November).

More than 250 guests, including drivers, co-drivers, team bosses, senior officials, city personalities and government representatives will celebrate at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art, across the water from the famous Opera House, on Monday 19 November.

While casting your vote you will also be entered into our competition to win one of three fantastic annual subscriptions to our WRC+ All Live interactive digital service, worth 89.99 euros.

The lucky winners won’t miss a minute of the 2019 WRC, with coverage of every special stage from all 14 rounds, expert analysis from the WRC TV studio, interviews and reactions from across the service park, on-demand highlights, live timing, onboard videos and more.

One more gala winner will be decided by fan votes here on wrc.com so don’t forget to check daily for the latest. Voting closes for all categories on 12 November.

Tomorrow: DJI Aerial Award

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS1. All votes and WRC+ competition entries must be received by 22.00hrs CET on Monday 12 November 2018.2. No more than one entry per person per voting category.3. Competition entries will be entered into a draw that will take place on Thursday 15 November 2018.4. The winners will be notified by email following this date.5. Entry excludes employees of WRC Promoter GmbH, members of their families, their agents and anyone connected with the competition.6. The prize is non-transferable and must be accepted as offered.7. There are no cash alternatives or cash substitutes for the prize.8. Any personal data collected as part of this competition will be used only for notifying the winner and delivering the prize.9. By entering the competition, all participants will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by these terms and conditions.